Friday, Sep 25

Daily Current Affairs: 25 September 2026

Daily current affairs for 25 September 2026 with exam-focused key facts, connected news context, and revision notes for UPSC, SSC, banking and government exams.

Editorial note for exam revision Last updated: 25 September 2026. This briefing is structured for current affairs revision, with key updates and related coverage links to help readers connect recurring topics across days.

Today at a glance

Top current affairs to revise

  1. Reserve Bank of India Introduces Revised Valuation Framework for InvIT and REIT Units Held by All-India Financial Institutions
  2. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Urges Businesses to Move Beyond 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India'
  3. Reserve Bank of India Approves RNFI Money for Cross-Border Trade Remittances
  4. Competition Commission of India Clears Westview Cricket and Poonawalla Sports' Acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals
  5. Mazagon Dock Inks ₹15,000 Crore MoU with NSHIP-AP for Greenfield Shipyard in Andhra Pradesh
  6. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Signs Escrow Agreement to Sell PNB MetLife Shares Worth Rs 120 Crore

Headlines by topic

Topic-wise current affairs headlines

All topic pages
Economy, Banking and Finance6 headlines
  1. Reserve Bank of India Introduces Revised Valuation Framework for InvIT and REIT Units Held by All-India Financial Institutions
  2. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Urges Businesses to Move Beyond 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India'
  3. Reserve Bank of India Approves RNFI Money for Cross-Border Trade Remittances
  4. Competition Commission of India Clears Westview Cricket and Poonawalla Sports' Acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals
  5. Mazagon Dock Inks ₹15,000 Crore MoU with NSHIP-AP for Greenfield Shipyard in Andhra Pradesh
  6. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Signs Escrow Agreement to Sell PNB MetLife Shares Worth Rs 120 Crore
Open Economy & Banking topic page
Government Schemes and Policy4 headlines
  1. Assam Sets January 1, 2027 Deadline for Fully Paperless e-Office Across Government Offices
  2. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Completes Eight Years with Over 60 Crore People Covered
  3. Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Now Compulsory for LPG Subsidy Refills from October 1, 2026
  4. Ministry of Civil Aviation Signs MoUs with 22 States to Launch Next Phase of UDAN Scheme
Open Schemes & Policy topic page
International, Defence and Summits2 headlines
  1. UN Women and UN DESA Release Gender Snapshot 2026 Report Warning One in Three Gender Equality Institutions Weakened
  2. Union Minister Manohar Lal Represents India at G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting in Houston Under US Presidency
Open International & Defence topic page
Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment4 headlines
  1. IMD Rules Out Cyclone Arnab as Deep Depression Set to Cross Andhra-Odisha Coast; Schools Shut and 11 Odisha Districts on Alert
  2. Rare Leucistic Great Cormorant Sighted at Hyderabad's Ameenpur Lake
  3. Hurricane Polo Intensifies to Category 5 off Mexico's Pacific Coast, Expected to Stay Offshore
  4. Assam Hosts Nearly 80% of World's Greater One-Horned Rhinos as India Launches Project Rhino
Open Science & Environment topic page
Sports1 headline
  1. Jay Meena Secures India's Maiden Asian Games Soft Tennis Bronze
Open Sports topic page
Miscellaneous Current Affairs4 headlines
  1. International Day of Sign Languages 2026: 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights' Theme, History and Key Facts
  2. NIT Srinagar Opens India's First Campus Observatory Among NITs on September 22, 2026
  3. Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Delhi to Be Vacated for New Kartavya Bhawan Blocks
  4. IIT (BHU) and University of Michigan Sign MoU for Joint Electric Vehicle Research
Open Miscellaneous topic page
People, Positions and Obituaries2 headlines
  1. Asad Alam Siam Appointed Bangladesh's Next High Commissioner to India
  2. Harsh Sanghani Wins Second Term as President of International Cooperative Alliance Youth Committee
Open People & Positions topic page
Jump to current affairs headlines
  1. Reserve Bank of India Introduces Revised Valuation Framework for InvIT and REIT Units Held by All-India Financial Institutions
  2. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Urges Businesses to Move Beyond 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India'
  3. Reserve Bank of India Approves RNFI Money for Cross-Border Trade Remittances
  4. Competition Commission of India Clears Westview Cricket and Poonawalla Sports' Acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals
  5. Mazagon Dock Inks ₹15,000 Crore MoU with NSHIP-AP for Greenfield Shipyard in Andhra Pradesh
  6. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Signs Escrow Agreement to Sell PNB MetLife Shares Worth Rs 120 Crore
  7. Assam Sets January 1, 2027 Deadline for Fully Paperless e-Office Across Government Offices
  8. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Completes Eight Years with Over 60 Crore People Covered
  9. Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Now Compulsory for LPG Subsidy Refills from October 1, 2026
  10. Ministry of Civil Aviation Signs MoUs with 22 States to Launch Next Phase of UDAN Scheme
  11. UN Women and UN DESA Release Gender Snapshot 2026 Report Warning One in Three Gender Equality Institutions Weakened
  12. Union Minister Manohar Lal Represents India at G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting in Houston Under US Presidency
  13. IMD Rules Out Cyclone Arnab as Deep Depression Set to Cross Andhra-Odisha Coast; Schools Shut and 11 Odisha Districts on Alert
  14. Rare Leucistic Great Cormorant Sighted at Hyderabad's Ameenpur Lake
  15. Hurricane Polo Intensifies to Category 5 off Mexico's Pacific Coast, Expected to Stay Offshore
  16. Assam Hosts Nearly 80% of World's Greater One-Horned Rhinos as India Launches Project Rhino
  17. Jay Meena Secures India's Maiden Asian Games Soft Tennis Bronze
  18. International Day of Sign Languages 2026: 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights' Theme, History and Key Facts
  19. NIT Srinagar Opens India's First Campus Observatory Among NITs on September 22, 2026
  20. Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Delhi to Be Vacated for New Kartavya Bhawan Blocks
  21. IIT (BHU) and University of Michigan Sign MoU for Joint Electric Vehicle Research
  22. Asad Alam Siam Appointed Bangladesh's Next High Commissioner to India
  23. Harsh Sanghani Wins Second Term as President of International Cooperative Alliance Youth Committee
☰

Jump to current affairs

Headlines 25 September 2026
  1. Reserve Bank of India Introduces Revised Valuation Framework for InvIT and REIT Units Held by All-India Financial Institutions
  2. FM Nirmala Sitharaman Urges Businesses to Move Beyond 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India'
  3. Reserve Bank of India Approves RNFI Money for Cross-Border Trade Remittances
  4. Competition Commission of India Clears Westview Cricket and Poonawalla Sports' Acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals
  5. Mazagon Dock Inks ₹15,000 Crore MoU with NSHIP-AP for Greenfield Shipyard in Andhra Pradesh
  6. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Signs Escrow Agreement to Sell PNB MetLife Shares Worth Rs 120 Crore
  7. Assam Sets January 1, 2027 Deadline for Fully Paperless e-Office Across Government Offices
  8. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Completes Eight Years with Over 60 Crore People Covered
  9. Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Now Compulsory for LPG Subsidy Refills from October 1, 2026
  10. Ministry of Civil Aviation Signs MoUs with 22 States to Launch Next Phase of UDAN Scheme
  11. UN Women and UN DESA Release Gender Snapshot 2026 Report Warning One in Three Gender Equality Institutions Weakened
  12. Union Minister Manohar Lal Represents India at G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting in Houston Under US Presidency
  13. IMD Rules Out Cyclone Arnab as Deep Depression Set to Cross Andhra-Odisha Coast; Schools Shut and 11 Odisha Districts on Alert
  14. Rare Leucistic Great Cormorant Sighted at Hyderabad's Ameenpur Lake
  15. Hurricane Polo Intensifies to Category 5 off Mexico's Pacific Coast, Expected to Stay Offshore
  16. Assam Hosts Nearly 80% of World's Greater One-Horned Rhinos as India Launches Project Rhino
  17. Jay Meena Secures India's Maiden Asian Games Soft Tennis Bronze
  18. International Day of Sign Languages 2026: 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights' Theme, History and Key Facts
  19. NIT Srinagar Opens India's First Campus Observatory Among NITs on September 22, 2026
  20. Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Delhi to Be Vacated for New Kartavya Bhawan Blocks
  21. IIT (BHU) and University of Michigan Sign MoU for Joint Electric Vehicle Research
  22. Asad Alam Siam Appointed Bangladesh's Next High Commissioner to India
  23. Harsh Sanghani Wins Second Term as President of International Cooperative Alliance Youth Committee
Topic

Economy, Banking and Finance

View all Economy & Banking

Reserve Bank of India Introduces Revised Valuation Framework for InvIT and REIT Units Held by All-India Financial Institutions

Key Updates:

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised valuation norms for Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) units held by all-India financial institutions (AIFIs), introducing separate and standardised treatment for quoted and unquoted units to ensure uniform valuation practices across institutions.
  • The revised framework takes effect immediately and has been incorporated into the RBI (All India Financial Institutions - Classification, Valuation, and Operation of Investment Portfolio) Amendment Directions, 2026.
  • RBI has inserted two new provisions into Chapter VI of its investment portfolio directions: Paragraph 58A for InvITs and Paragraph 58B for REITs.
  • Quoted InvIT and REIT units will be valued in accordance with the existing RBI instructions applicable to quoted securities.
  • Unquoted InvIT units will be valued at the net asset value (NAV) disclosed by the InvIT.
  • A ₹1 valuation applies where an InvIT fails to calculate and disclose NAV in the manner and frequency specified under the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014, and to InvIT units classified as infrequently traded under applicable SEBI regulations.
  • Unquoted REIT units will be valued at the NAV disclosed by the REIT, with a ₹1 valuation where the REIT does not calculate and disclose NAV as prescribed under the SEBI (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014, or for units classified as infrequently traded.
  • Other unquoted instruments issued by InvITs and REITs will continue to follow the valuation methodologies prescribed under the existing RBI directions.
  • The amendments were issued under Section 45L of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and were considered necessary in the public interest.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

FM Nirmala Sitharaman Urges Businesses to Move Beyond 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India'

Key Updates:

  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged businesses at AIMA's 53rd National Management Convention to move from 'Made in India' to 'Imagined in India', with products conceived, designed and technologically developed in India before being marketed globally.
  • Sitharaman stated India's next growth phase must capture value from design, engineering, patents, software, technology and know-how, beyond manufacturing scale alone.
  • She called for greater professionalisation of family-owned enterprises, including separation of ownership and management, succession planning and conflict resolution mechanisms.
  • Sitharaman urged AIMA to expand practical training programmes for family businesses covering governance, succession planning, delegation of authority and conflict management.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Reserve Bank of India Approves RNFI Money for Cross-Border Trade Remittances

Key Updates:

  • RNFI Money Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of RNFI Services Ltd, received Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval to undertake cross-border trade remittances.
  • The approval allows RNFI Money to offer regulated foreign exchange, remittance and trade-payment services through RNFI's last-mile network across India, with the licence carrying perpetual validity.
  • RNFI Services Ltd recently received in-principle authorisation from the RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator - Physical (PA-P).

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Competition Commission of India Clears Westview Cricket and Poonawalla Sports' Acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals

Key Updates:

  • The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals by Westview Cricket Ltd and Poonawalla Sports and Fitness Pvt Ltd, announced on September 17, 2026.
  • The deal, valued at approximately $1.65 billion, involves UK-registered Westview Cricket and Indian company Poonawalla Sports acquiring the franchises from EM Sporting Holdings Ltd and Royal Multisport Pvt Ltd.
  • The CCI had sought additional information from the parties in August 2026 after finding the filing incomplete, and the approval indicates no appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
  • Westview Cricket is the investment vehicle of the Lakshmi Mittal family, reported to take a 75% stake, while Poonawalla Sports, wholly owned by Adar Poonawalla, is reported to take an 18% stake, with existing shareholders retaining 7%.
  • EM Sporting Holdings Ltd, incorporated in Mauritius, is the holding company for Royal Multisport Pvt Ltd, which owns Rajasthan Royals, as well as Paarl Royals Ltd and Barbados Royals Ltd.
  • The acquisition still requires other applicable approvals and closing conditions before ownership transition is completed.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Mazagon Dock Inks ₹15,000 Crore MoU with NSHIP-AP for Greenfield Shipyard in Andhra Pradesh

Key Updates:

  • Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) signed an MoU with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park-AP (NSHIP-AP) on September 18, 2026, to develop a greenfield shipyard at Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of around ₹15,000 crore over five to seven years.
  • The project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for around 45,000 people in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The proposed shipyard will have a design capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes per annum and will cater to commercial vessels including tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and LNG carriers.
  • The broader Shipbuilding-cum-Port Cluster at Dugarajapatnam is estimated to cost around ₹29,254 crore for the shipbuilding and ship repair yard and ₹9,513 crore for the proposed port, developed under the Government of India's Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS).
  • NSHIP-AP, a special purpose vehicle formed jointly by the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and Visakhapatnam Port Authority, has identified MDL as the anchor shipyard.
  • Andhra Pradesh aims to help India become one of the world's top five shipbuilding nations by 2047.
  • MDL's current order book stands at under ₹18,000 crore and could cross ₹1 lakh crore in FY27 if anticipated submarine and naval vessel orders come through.
  • MDL expects 15-17% revenue growth in the current financial year, with the P-75I submarine programme with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) being a key potential order expected this financial year.
  • Shares of Mazagon Dock ended nearly 2% higher at ₹2,252 on Friday, though the stock has declined over 9% since the beginning of this year and about 25% over the trailing 12-month period.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Jammu & Kashmir Bank Signs Escrow Agreement to Sell PNB MetLife Shares Worth Rs 120 Crore

Key Updates:

  • Jammu & Kashmir Bank signed an escrow agreement with MetLife International and Barclays group companies to sell PNB MetLife India Insurance shares worth nearly Rs 120.10 crore.
  • Each share will be sold at Rs 117.20 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 120,09,89,186, with the contract signed on Monday after market hours.
  • J&K Bank had earlier signed a share purchase agreement with PNB MetLife India on July 17 to acquire a 0.5% stake in the company.
  • Barclays Wealth Trustees (India) will act as the share escrow agent and Barclays Bank PLC as the cash escrow agent for the transaction.
  • The transaction does not fall under related party transactions, and no special rights have been assigned to J&K Bank or MetLife International Holdings, LLC.
  • J&K Bank shares ended Monday's trade flat, declining 2% over the past month while advancing 26% over the past six months.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Topic

Government Schemes and Policy

View all Schemes & Policy

Assam Sets January 1, 2027 Deadline for Fully Paperless e-Office Across Government Offices

Key Updates:

  • The Assam government has set January 1, 2027, as the deadline for all government offices in the state to transition to a paperless e-Office system, announced by the Chief Minister's Office on September 23, 2026.
  • The e-Office platform, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), is already used across the Assam Secretariat, with all 58 departments using the system and implementation extending to select directorates and Deputy Commissioners' offices.
  • The e-Office system replaces paper-based file handling with electronic workflows, enabling digital receipt of documents, electronic file movement, online drafting, digital signing, archiving, and tracking of file status.
  • Assam initiated e-Office implementation in districts and notified a state-level steering mechanism in 2021, and in 2026 launched e-Office District to extend paperless processes to district-level machinery.
  • Other states using e-Office include Karnataka (since 2009), Kerala, Haryana, and Maharashtra.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Completes Eight Years with Over 60 Crore People Covered

Key Updates:

  • Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) completed eight years, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister JP Nadda marking the milestone.
  • AB PM-JAY, launched on September 23, 2018, provides cashless hospitalisation coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care to economically vulnerable citizens.
  • More than 60 crore people are covered under the scheme, with over 48.54 crore Ayushman cards created and more than 13 crore people having availed treatment.
  • The scheme has funded 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth ₹2.03 lakh crore through more than 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals as of August 31, 2026.
  • AB PM-JAY covers 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialities and aims to protect families from catastrophic medical expenses.
  • The scheme has been expanded to cover ASHAs, anganwadi workers and helpers, and senior citizens aged 70 years and above, with over 44.81 lakh Ayushman cards created for the former and over 1.36 crore Ayushman Vay Vandana cards issued to senior citizens as of September 21, 2026.
  • Beneficiaries include eligible families identified through deprivation and occupational criteria, construction workers, road accident victims, transgender persons under the SMILE initiative, waste pickers, sanitation workers, and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
  • Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have recorded over 500 crore visits, strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots level.
  • AB PM-JAY works alongside Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to strengthen healthcare delivery from primary care to hospital-based treatment.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Aadhaar Biometric Authentication Now Compulsory for LPG Subsidy Refills from October 1, 2026

Key Updates:

  • From October 1, 2026, Biometric Aadhaar Authentication (BAA) is mandatory for domestic LPG consumers booking refills at the regulated retail selling price with subsidy, as announced by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
  • As of September 19, 2026, around 27.43 crore active domestic LPG consumers, or 89.9 per cent, had completed the authentication process.
  • BAA can be completed during LPG delivery, at the distributor's showroom, or through OMC mobile apps such as IndianOil ONE (Indane), HelloBPCL (Bharatgas) and HP PAY (HP Gas).
  • Consumers who do not complete BAA can still receive LPG at the applicable market price without subsidy, in 5 kg or 10 kg cylinders, after registering their choice through OMC digital channels.
  • The authentication aims to ensure subsidised LPG reaches genuine consumers, identify duplicate or ineligible connections, and prevent diversion of subsidised cylinders for commercial or industrial use.
  • The implicit subsidy on a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder was around Rs 210 in September 2026, down from Rs 721 per cylinder in June 2026.
  • Consumers yet to complete BAA are advised to do so before October 1, 2026; the toll-free helpline for LPG services is 1800 2333 555.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

UIDAI Launches Aadhaar Face Authentication SDK and Sandbox (Start of September)

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched a Face Authentication Software Development Kit (SDK) and a testing environment in its Aadhaar sandbox at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, unveiled by UIDAI…

Ministry of Civil Aviation Signs MoUs with 22 States to Launch Next Phase of UDAN Scheme

Key Updates:

  • The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) signed MoUs with 22 states on 22 September for the next phase of the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN, marking the launch of the Challenge Mode and a new Routes Bidding Round to expand regional air connectivity.
  • The MoUs were signed with Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
  • The Union Cabinet approved the Modified UDAN scheme in March for 10 years from financial year 2026-27 to 2035-36 with a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore through budgetary support, and the scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 4.
  • Under the Modified UDAN scheme, 100 airports are proposed to be developed from existing unserved airstrips and 200 modern helipads are planned in hilly, remote, island and aspirational regions for last-mile connectivity.
  • Around Rs 12,159 crore has been earmarked for development of 100 airports, Rs 2,577 crore for operation and maintenance support for around 441 aerodromes, Rs 3,661 crore for 200 modern helipads, and Rs 10,043 crore as viability gap funding for airline operators over 10 years.
  • As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat component, the scheme proposes procurement of two HAL Dhruv helicopters for Pawan Hans and two HAL Dornier aircraft for Alliance Air.
  • The original UDAN scheme was launched in October 2016 to make air travel affordable and improve connectivity to underserved and unserved regions.
  • As of July 2026, UDAN had operationalised 679 routes across 95 airports, heliports and water aerodromes, carrying more than 1.68 crore passengers through over 3.58 lakh flights.

Connects with 2 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Topic

International, Defence and Summits

View all International & Defence

UN Women and UN DESA Release Gender Snapshot 2026 Report Warning One in Three Gender Equality Institutions Weakened

Key Updates:

  • UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) released 'The Gender Snapshot 2026' on September 17, 2026, stating that no target under the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality is on track to be met by 2030.
  • One in three institutions set up to advance gender equality has had its power weakened in the past two years; around one in four has had its operating budget cut and nearly one in 10 has lost control of its budget.
  • Funding for gender equality fell to its lowest level since 2021, with bilateral aid for gender equality down 13 per cent and funding to women's rights organisations down 28 per cent between 2023 and 2024; 42 per cent of UN entities reported weakened gender equality efforts.
  • Men lead six in seven countries; women hold 27.4 per cent of parliamentary seats in 2026 (up from 22.3 per cent in 2015) and 35.6 per cent of local government posts, stagnated since 2023.
  • Nearly nine in 10 defence ministers and over eight in 10 finance ministers are men; women hold only 6 per cent of corporate CEO positions and lead fewer than 20 per cent of the highest courts.
  • UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua said current progress rates put gender equality 171 years away.
  • In 2024, 9.9 per cent of women lived in extreme poverty versus 9.5 per cent of men; 1.1 billion women and girls could still be food insecure by 2030, while closing gender gaps in agricultural productivity could lift 45 million people out of food insecurity.
  • Women spend 2.5 times more hours than men on unpaid domestic and care work; nearly one in three women has experienced partner or sexual violence, and 316 million women experienced such violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months.
  • Nearly one in five girls is married before 18, and an estimated 230 million women and girls are survivors of female genital mutilation.
  • Women account for about 22 per cent of AI professionals and fewer than 14 per cent of senior AI leadership roles; 2.9 billion women and girls live in countries highly exposed to climate change and hazards, and women hold 27 per cent of cabinet posts with environmental portfolios.
  • The report was released as world leaders prepare for the 81st UN General Assembly session and the selection of the UN's tenth Secretary-General, a role no woman has held in the organisation's 80-year history.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Union Minister Manohar Lal Represents India at G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting in Houston Under US Presidency

Key Updates:

  • Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal arrived in Houston to represent India at the G20 Energy Ministers' meeting amid global crude supply strain from wars in Iran and Ukraine.
  • The G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Abundance is being held from Monday to Wednesday under the US G20 Presidency, with participants including US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and White House official Jarrod Agen.
  • Manohar Lal is scheduled to participate in sessions on energy security and affordable baseload power, permitting and regulatory efficiency, and critical minerals and resilient supply chains, with India advocating technology-neutral pathways and diversified critical mineral supply lines.
  • India's Consul General in Houston, C Manjunath, received the minister, and the Indian diaspora hosted a public reception at India House on Sunday evening.
  • Manohar Lal visited NASA's Johnson Space Centre for talks on expanding bilateral space cooperation and launched CGI Houston's participation in the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' movement.
  • The minister attended a Hindi Diwas 2026 literary gathering co-hosted by the Consulate General of India, Houston, and the International Hindi Association, Houston Chapter.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

India Joins Global 6G Network Initiative (Start of September)

India has joined the United States and 24 other nations in a global initiative to guide the development and deployment of next-generation 6G telecommunications networks, the US Department of Commerce announced on Monday.…

Topic

Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment

View all Science & Environment

IMD Rules Out Cyclone Arnab as Deep Depression Set to Cross Andhra-Odisha Coast; Schools Shut and 11 Odisha Districts on Alert

Key Updates:

  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) ruled out the Bay of Bengal system intensifying into Cyclone Arnab, saying it would cross the North Andhra Pradesh-South Odisha coasts between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur, close to Kalingapatnam, as a deep depression by the night of September 23, 2026.
  • The deep depression, moving westwards at 12 kmph, was centred near latitude 18.0°N and longitude 84.7°E, about 70 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam, 150 km south of Gopalpur, 230 km south-southwest of Puri and 150 km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam.
  • Squalls with winds gusting up to 75 kmph were likely along and off the North Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coasts from the morning of September 23 to the evening of September 24, 2026.
  • Schools and Anganwadi centres were shut on September 23, 2026 in six Andhra Pradesh districts — Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitharama Raju and Anakapalle — with employees' leave cancelled and State Disaster Response Force teams deployed.
  • Odisha's chief secretary Anu Garg said collectors of 11 districts were put on high alert, with cyclone and flood shelters kept ready for waterlogging, urban flooding, landslides and mudslides.
  • The IMD issued a red alert for parts of southern Odisha from September 23 to 25, 2026, with Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain on September 23-24, and Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri under red alert for September 24-25.
  • Gajapati district shut major tourist spots including Mahendragiri, BN Palace, Paralakhemundi and nine waterfalls such as Gandahati, Budubuda, Khasada and Bramhanadei until further orders, while Malkangiri closed schools and Anganwadi centres from September 24 to 25, 2026.
  • Ferry services between Satapada and Jahnikuda in Chilika Lake were suspended until September 25, 2026, and vehicular movement was restricted on some roads including Kalinga Ghat between Ganjam and Kandhamal.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Heatwaves and Lightning Added to NDRF Protocol (Start of August)

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) included heatwaves and lightning in the list of notified natural calamities under the operational guidelines for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response…

Rare Leucistic Great Cormorant Sighted at Hyderabad's Ameenpur Lake

Key Updates:

  • A rare leucistic Great Cormorant, with mostly white feathers due to reduced pigmentation, was spotted at Ameenpur Lake near BHEL in Hyderabad on Sunday by Hyderabad-born Canadian birder Raghuvamsh Chavali.
  • Leucistic birds differ from albino birds, though they can sometimes resemble them, and documented records of leucistic Great Cormorants in India are very scarce.
  • The birder independently verified the sighting with birder friends across the country after finding little online documentation.

Connects with 3 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Mindoro Bleeding-Heart Pigeon Spotted in Philippines (Start of September)

The critically endangered Mindoro bleeding-heart pigeon (Gallicolumba platenae) was photographed in August in the Puerto Galera rainforest on Mindoro island, the first confirmed photograph in two decades. The photograph…

Hurricane Polo Intensifies to Category 5 off Mexico's Pacific Coast, Expected to Stay Offshore

Key Updates:

  • Hurricane Polo intensified rapidly from Category 1 to Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale in less than a day, with sustained winds of around 160 mph (260 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
  • The NHC forecast the core of Polo to remain offshore near the coast of southwestern Mexico, though life-threatening flooding and mudslides were expected in parts of Mexico, with further strengthening expected through Wednesday.
  • Schools were suspended in Pacific coast states including Guerrero and Michoacan, and authorities in Acapulco, devastated by Hurricane Otis in 2023, issued warnings about thunderstorms.
  • Mexico's cyclone season runs from May to November, and the current season is expected to be particularly active due to El Nino, a climate phenomenon that recurs every two to seven years and weakens east-to-west trade winds.

Connects with 3 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

SpaceX Starship Deploys 20 Starlink Satellites (End of July)

SpaceX launched its 13th Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas, deploying 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. The 407-foot (124-metre) Starship V3 rocket lifted off after replacing six engines that failed to…

Assam Hosts Nearly 80% of World's Greater One-Horned Rhinos as India Launches Project Rhino

Key Updates:

  • Assam shelters nearly 80% of the world's greater one-horned rhinoceros, with the global population estimated at 4,075 — 3,323 in India and 752 in Nepal.
  • Kaziranga National Park alone holds more than 2,600 greater one-horned rhinos of the global population.
  • On World Rhino Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Project Rhino, a conservation initiative providing financial and technical support to states harbouring the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
  • Of the five surviving rhino species, three — black, Sumatran and Javan rhinos — are critically endangered on the IUCN list; the greater one-horned rhino is vulnerable and the white rhino is near threatened.
  • The International Rhino Foundation's State of the Rhino Report 2026 recorded zero known poaching of greater one-horned rhinos in both Assam and Nepal in 2025.
  • Assam achieved its first zero-poaching year since the 1970s in 2022 and repeated it in 2025, after recording nearly 30 poached rhinos in a single year in the mid-2010s.
  • Manas National Park has recorded zero poaching of rhinos and tigers for three consecutive years, and rhinos translocated from Kaziranga have repopulated Manas and Orang National Parks.
  • Rhinos have returned or been protected in parts of Bihar and West Bengal, and reintroduction in Dudhwa, Uttar Pradesh, is described as creating history.

Connects with 3 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Topic

Sports

View all Sports

Jay Meena Secures India's Maiden Asian Games Soft Tennis Bronze

Key Updates:

  • Jay Meena won India's first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games, a bronze in the men's singles, after losing 2-4 to Japan's Takuya Kurosaka in the semifinals in Nagoya on September 23, 2026.
  • The 26-year-old Meena, playing his third Asian Games after the 2018 and 2022 editions, fought back from three games behind before losing the 45-minute semifinal 2-4 (3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4).
  • Meena, from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh and a 2022 National Games gold-medallist, reached the semifinals by beating the Philippines' Sherwin Nuguit 4-3 in the quarterfinal.
  • Earlier, Meena defeated Pakistan's Arain Hussain 4-0 in Group D to qualify for the quarterfinals.
  • Meena had previously won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event of the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championship.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Topic

Miscellaneous Current Affairs

View all Miscellaneous

International Day of Sign Languages 2026: 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights' Theme, History and Key Facts

Key Updates:

  • The International Day of Sign Languages is observed every year on September 23 to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages in ensuring the full realisation of the human rights of Deaf people.
  • The theme for International Day of Sign Languages 2026 is 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights', calling for recognition, protection and promotion of Deaf people's rights, including full access through national sign languages.
  • In 2026, the day marks the 75th anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and 20 years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
  • The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages through Resolution A/RES/72/161, adopted by consensus on December 19, 2017, on a proposal from the World Federation of the Deaf co-sponsored by 97 UN Member States.
  • September 23 was chosen because it marks the date when the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951.
  • The first International Day of Sign Languages was observed in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf, which dates back to September 1958.
  • The World Federation of the Deaf is observing the International Week of Deaf People from September 21 to 27, 2026, with daily themes including inclusive education, accessibility, Deaf culture and participation.
  • The UN describes sign languages as fully fledged natural languages, structurally distinct from spoken languages, with more than 300 different sign languages used by Deaf communities worldwide.
  • Indian Sign Language (ISL) is a visual-manual language with its own vocabulary and grammar, as described by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) under the Government of India, which offers a basic self-learning course covering greetings, introductions, commonly used words, grammar and situation-based conversations.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

NIT Srinagar Opens India's First Campus Observatory Among NITs on September 22, 2026

Key Updates:

  • NIT Srinagar will become the first NIT in India to have a dedicated campus-based astronomical observatory, the NIT-Srinagar Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics (NSOAA), to be inaugurated on September 22, 2026.
  • The observatory's centrepiece is a 14-inch Celestron C14 EdgeHD aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a computerised equatorial mount, developed with scientific collaboration from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.
  • Dr. Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Scientist F and head of the SCOPE Section at IIA, is an adviser and collaborator, while Professor Prince Ahmad Ganai, Head of Physics at NIT-Srinagar, is leading the project.
  • The system includes planetary and cooled deep-sky cameras, LRGB filters, a 2.5x Barlow lens and high-speed imaging for observing the Moon, planets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.
  • IIT Kanpur also operates a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain observatory with CCD imaging and remote-operation capabilities, one of the few Indian technical institutions with such facilities.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Jammu and Kashmir to Host Irani Cup in Srinagar (Mid of August)

The Irani Cup match between Jammu and Kashmir and Rest of India will be held at Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar from October 1 to 5, 2026. This will be the biggest cricket match in Jammu and Kashmir since the…

Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Delhi to Be Vacated for New Kartavya Bhawan Blocks

Key Updates:

  • The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has directed that Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan in Lutyens' Delhi be vacated by the end of September 2026 to make way for Kartavya Bhawans 4 and 5 under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
  • According to a CPWD communication dated September 16, the construction tender has been awarded and the premises must be handed over to the executing agency by September-end.
  • Shastri Bhawan, a seven-storeyed building named after former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, housed ministries including education, petroleum and natural gas, and coal, while Krishi Bhawan primarily housed the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the Ministry of Rural Development.
  • Both buildings were constructed between 1956 and 1968, and several ministries have already shifted to newly inaugurated Kartavya Bhawans over the past few months.
  • The Central Vista plan envisages 10 Kartavya Bhawans under the Common Central Secretariat to consolidate ministries in modern integrated complexes.
  • North Block and South Block offices have also been shifted out, and those buildings are proposed to be converted into the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum.

Connects with 1 related update for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

IIT (BHU) and University of Michigan Sign MoU for Joint Electric Vehicle Research

Key Updates:

  • IIT (BHU), Varanasi, signed an MoU with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for joint research and innovation in electric vehicles and sustainable mobility.
  • The MoU was signed on September 8 at the Electric Vehicle Center (EVC), University of Michigan, by IIT-BHU director Prof Amit Patra and Prof Todd Allen, associate dean for Research at the University of Michigan.
  • Prof Rajeev Kumar Singh, Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Coordinator of the Centre for Transportational E-Mobility (CTEM), presented two sanctioned ongoing projects under the IIT-BHU-University of Michigan collaboration.
  • The two institutions agreed to constitute a Materials Research Team to develop a long-term white paper outlining potential research directions in advanced materials.

Connects with 4 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Topic

People, Positions and Obituaries

View all People & Positions

Asad Alam Siam Appointed Bangladesh's Next High Commissioner to India

Key Updates:

  • Bangladesh has appointed Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as its next High Commissioner to India after receiving New Delhi's formal consent.
  • Siam, a career diplomat and Bangladesh's senior-most foreign service officer, will replace M Riaz Hamidullah, who has been appointed Bangladesh's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.
  • Siam joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 and, before becoming the foreign ministry's top bureaucrat in June 2025, served as Bangladesh's ambassador to the United States and earlier as ambassador to Australia.
  • Dhaka's decision to send its senior-most diplomat to India followed New Delhi's appointment of former Union minister Dinesh Trivedi as its envoy to Bangladesh in April this year.
  • India-Bangladesh ties saw a downturn during the 18-month tenure of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after a student-led uprising toppled the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

Connects with 3 related updates for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage

Indian Railways Supplies Coaches to Bangladesh Railway (Mid of August)

Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala rolled out the first rake of 19 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) broad gauge passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway. The rake comprises three AC sleeper coaches, three AC chair cars, 11…

SCO names Lahore as Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27 (Start of September)

Lahore has been designated as the Tourism and Cultural Capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for 2026-27. The decision was announced at the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek…

Harsh Sanghani Wins Second Term as President of International Cooperative Alliance Youth Committee

Key Updates:

  • Harsh Sanghani was re-elected unopposed as President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Youth Committee and confirmed as Youth Representative to the ICA Global Board at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and Elective General Assembly in Panama City.
  • Sanghani first made history on 3 July 2025 at the Festival of Cooperatives in Manchester, becoming the first person of Asian origin to lead the ICA Youth Committee and, at age 20, the youngest board member in the Alliance's history.
  • During his first term, Sanghani introduced regular town halls, deepened collaboration with regional youth committees, and expanded youth representation in international forums.
  • His five-point agenda for the second term includes a Cooperative Leadership Masterclass, a Global Cooperative Leadership Academy, the CoopEdTech open-source learning platform, a Global Innovation and Emerging Industries Incubator for youth-led ventures in artificial intelligence, climate technology, biotechnology and digital platforms, a Global Youth Cooperative Policy Forum, and a global study on youth and women's participation in cooperatives.
  • Sanghani has represented youth cooperators at global platforms including the ECOSOC Partnership Forum and the ICBA Symposium at the United Nations.

Connects with 1 related update for revision context.

Related Current Affairs Coverage